Through an analysis of data sets on four parameters - sea ice totals, sea surface temperatures, near surface temperatures and surface type - students must decide whether the Arctic is experiencing climate change and predict any potential effects on...(View More) the rest of the planet. The activity in this lesson involves card sorting, a technique in which index cards, each containing content or diagrams, are grouped according to unifying concepts. The cards in this lesson contain graphs that students have downloaded, summaries they have written, and questions they have derived from the lesson. The graphs used in this activity show satellite data sets for a location above the Arctic Circle. Students will analyze and group the cards and will then write a conclusion in which they explain the connection between the four parameters, and relate them back to climate change. This lesson uses student- and citizen science-friendly microsets of authentic NASA Earth system science data from the MY NASA DATA project. It also includes related links, extensions, an online glossary, and a list of related AP Environmental Science topics.(View Less)

This is a lesson about the electromagnetic spectrum. Learners will read two pages of information about the electromagnetic spectrum and answer questions in an accompanying worksheet. This activity is from the Stanford Solar Center's All About the...(View More) Sun: Sun and Stars activity guide for Grades 5-8 and can also accompany the Stanford Solar Center's Build Your Own Spectroscope activity.(View Less)